Geographist

Larry Dierker Born: September 22, 1946 Sport: Baseball (139-123, 3.31 ERA as a pitcher; 435-348, 4 NL Central titles as a manager) Baseball season kicked off this week, and like most Houston sports fans I love my local team.  The Houston Astros have been the most consistently great team in the area in recent years, although there have been significant strides made by the football and basketball squads of late.  Houston has certainly been able to claim a significant number of baseball stars, both those that grew up around town as well as many stars that have played here and have been adopted into our city's family.  Larry Dierker may be the man who epitomizes the organization like no other.  So this week, in honor of Opening Day 2025, let's learn more about a man who has spent his entire career (and beyond) representing our city. Houston's first two major league fields: Colts Stadium and the Astrodome Born in Hollywood, CA, young Larry was like many boys who grew up p...

George Foreman Born: January 10, 1949 (Marshall, TX) Died: March 21, 2025 (Houston, TX) Sport: Boxing (76-5-0, 68 KO) As I began to think about my latest discussion point and started planning for the particular details of its format and style, it was difficult for me to decide on who deserved the honor of the first post.  Obviously it should be someone memorable, even when compared against some of the great sports figures that our great city can boast, and preferably well-loved.  And then two days ago we were stunned by the passing of one of the absolute legends in our community, a man who was quite literally larger than life: George Foreman.  With utmost respect for his legacy and sympathy to his loved ones, I now open this new topic by focusing on the amazing life of one of the best that Houston has to offer. Houston - 1978 Born in Marshall, TX, young George grew up in the Fifth Ward neighborhood of Houston, just northeast of downtown.  He took the family name of J...

Happy Spring Break (to all who celebrate)!  We have officially wrapped up a topic and it's time to start looking for a new and interesting subject to explore and discuss.  To this point, the blog has gone a number of directions - geography, history, Bible, success, and my own family life.  Thank you to everyone who has followed along for the ride!  A while back it occurred to me that one of the topics I enjoy most in life hasn't made it into my posts, so now is the time that we finally venture that way.  Sports!  As a kid I got bitten by the fan bug, largely because the game I played was the same one that my local professional squad was winning.  Young Brian enjoyed all kinds of competition, whether it was watching a world championship, participating in a school spelling bee, or just having a foot race to the car against my big brother.  Houston, Texas, was the city where we lived and was not only home to some amazing teams but also world-class in...

We have reached the end of our study of Biblical people groups.  Since the days of Noah, humanity has spread and multiplied numerous times over into the world we know today.  Many of the nations who have come before have disappeared but many, such as Israel and Egypt, have persevered until modern times.  The final nation that the Bible brings up, however, is not one that is defined by geography.  1 Peter 2:9 tells us that Christians are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (ESV)  In John's final apocalyptic vision he describes "a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb." (Revelation 7:9 ESV)  At the end of time it isn't race or national origin that defines who we are, but whether or not we are among ...

Nicolaitans Key Scripture: Revelation 2:6,15 Figures: none This week we delve into the final book of the Bible to uncover something about a mysterious group that is mentioned twice.  There has been much discussion about their identity during the 2,000 years since the apocalyptic conclusion to Scripture was penned.  The name of the Nicolaitans jumps off the page, and while there may be some question as to who they really were there is certainly no mystery about how they are viewed.  Although likely not an ethnic or geographic people, they are a group that figures prominently in the story of the end times.  Hopefully we can learn something about them by investigating what has been written about them, both in the Bible as well as in historical texts. As Revelation just begins to get underway, the writer is instructed to write letters to a series of churches in Asia Minor.  The words that the Apostle John records are jarring to the reader, as this self-proclaimed di...